Vehicle Beverage Shield

ABSTRACT

A Vehicle Beverage Shield. The shield should protect the interior of a vehicle by capturing any spilled liquids around the interior cup holder(s). The shield should have a cup-shaped receptacle that inserts through an aperture formed in a protective mat. The protective mat should have an absorbant upper layer and a liquid-proof lower layers attached to one another. The shield should optionally accommodate one or more beverage cups.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to vehicle accessories and, morespecifically, to a Vehicle Beverage Shield.

2. Description of Related Art

FIG. 1 depicts a conventional arrangement for the interior of apassenger vehicle. It is common in current vehicles that there be acenter console 22 located between the driver's seat 24 and the passengerseat 26. The center console 22 will almost always include a pair of cupholders 28A, 28B to provide the user with a convenient location tosafely hold a beverage cup. In the depicted vehicle, the cup holders28A, 28B are of the pop-up type (i.e. they can be refracted or pusheddown to close them); other versions may be the immovable or permanentlyopen type. In the depicted pop-up design, the cup holders 28A, 28Bretract into a cup holder compartment 29 formed in the center console 22by pushing down on the face of the cover panel 31.

While the conventional vehicle cup holders (collectively 28) areextremely convenient, there is one serious drawback related to spillage.If the driver or passenger accidentally spills their drink whileinserting it or removing it from the cup holder 28, then the liquid willend up all over the center console 22 (best case), or inside of the cupholder compartment 29 (worst case). In either case, the mess created bythe spilled liquid is difficult to clean and potentially damaging to thevehicle's interior.

While a variety of different vehicle cup holder designs are available asaccessories to vehicles after purchase, none have been found thatprovide a decorative cover to capture and absorb liquid spilled onto thecup holders.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In light of the aforementioned problems associated with the priordevices and assemblies, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a Vehicle Beverage Shield. The shield should protect theinterior of a vehicle by capturing any spilled liquids around theinterior cup holder(s). The shield should have a cup-shaped receptaclethat inserts through an aperture formed in a protective mat. Theprotective mat should have an absorbant upper layer and a liquid-prooflower layers attached to one another. The shield should optionallyaccommodate one or more beverage cups.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The objects and features of the present invention, which are believed tobe novel, are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. Thepresent invention, both as to its organization and manner of operation,together with further objects and advantages, may best be understood byreference to the following description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the driver area of the interior of aconventional vehicle;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a preferred embodiment of thevehicle beverage shield of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a second exploded perspective view of the shield of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the assembled shield of FIGS. 2 and 3;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shield of FIGS. 2-4 installed in thevehicle interior of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the installation of FIG. 5 retaining abeverage cup therein; and

FIG. 7 is a partially cutaway exploded view depicting an alternateversion of the receptacle of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following description is provided to enable any person skilled inthe art to make and use the invention and sets forth the best modescontemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention. Variousmodifications, however, will remain readily apparent to those skilled inthe art, since the generic principles of the present invention have beendefined herein specifically to provide a Vehicle Beverage Shield.

The present invention can best be understood by initial consideration ofFIG. 2.¹ FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a preferredembodiment of the vehicle beverage shield 10 of the present invention.The two main components of the shield 10 are the protective mat 12 andthe cylindrical insert 16. The mat 12 could be provided in a variety ofsizes and shapes, particularly if customized for the driver's particularvehicle. The mat 12 is defined by a central aperture 14 (or apertures aswill be discussed below) formed therethrough. In some versions, the edgeof the aperture 14 will further include a peripheral ring 20. Theperipheral ring 20 adjusts the diameter of the aperture 14 so that itcan fit the widest variety of cylindrical inserts 16. The ring 20 couldbe a drawstring sewn into the mat 12, or alternatively could be anelastic ring. ¹ As used throughout this disclosure, element numbersenclosed in square brackets [ ] indicates that the referenced element isnot shown in the instant drawing figure, but rather is displayedelsewhere in another drawing figure.

In this version, the mat 12 has a plurality of quilt seams 35 formed inits upper surface. This quilted look has been found to be particularlyattractive, while also adding functionality and durability to the mat 12by stitching the different layers of the mat 12 together.

The cylindrical insert 16 is preferably a plastic or metal sleeve havinga closed bottom to form a receptacle 18 therein. There is preferably acollar ring 33 extending outwardly from the upper edge of the insert 16,the purpose of which will become apparent when discussed below inconnection with other drawing figure(s). Now turning to FIG. 3, we cancontinue to examine the inventive details of the current invention.

FIG. 3 is a second exploded perspective view of the shield 10 of FIG. 2.As discussed above, the mat 12 in this version is rectangular in shapeand has rounded corners. In particular, this version is approximately 28inches long (“L”) by 14 inches wide (“W”), which is a size foundparticularly suitable for full-sized vehicles. The mat 12 is flexible sothat it will lay down over the center console area of the vehicle, andcan even be tucked in to the sides of the seats if necessary (in orderto hold the shield 10 in place). The material is washable so that anyspillage can be removed easily through normal cleaning methods.

As shown, the cylindrical insert 16 inserts into the aperture 14, whereit is grasped by the peripheral ring [20], if so equipped. The user'sbeverage cup 22 can then easily be inserted into, and removed from, thecylindrical insert 16. FIG. 4 shows the shield 10 fully assembled.

The mat 12 is found to be most useful if it has two or more layers ofdifferent material. In this version, the top layer 37 is made fromabsorbent material such as cotton or a cotton blend. The bottom layer39, in contrast, is made from a liquid-resistant material, such asplastic or rubber (or a surface coating of plasticized or rubberizedmaterial). There may be additional layers as well, such as a paddinglayer sandwiched between the top and bottom layers 37, 39.

The collar ring 33 and aperture [14] are cooperatively sized so that thecollar ring 33 is larger than the aperture [14], so that the lip of thecollar ring 33 extends over the top of the mat 12.

Another potential feature is that additional apertures 14A and inserts16A could be provided in the shield 10, so that more than one protectedcup holder is provided for the users. By way of example, the dashedcircles in the instant drawing is intended to represent a secondaperture/insert 14A, 16A. In other versions, three or moreaperture/inserts (generically 14, 16) could be provided. Finally,starting with FIG. 5, we will examine how the device of the presentinvention is actually used.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the shield 10 of FIGS. 2-4 installed inthe vehicle interior of FIG. 1. First, the mat 12 is laid over thecenter console 22 so that it snugly fits, and so that the aperture [14]is aligned with one of the cup holders [28A, 28B] (or both cup holdersin the case where the shield has two inserts 16). The insert 16 isinserted through the aperture [14] so that it is captured in one of thecup holders [28A, 28B]. The side edges of the mat 12 are preferablytucked in between the seats 24, 26 and the center console 22 so that asleek appearance is achieved (and also to prevent spillage from gettingbetween the console 22 and the seats 24, 26. As shown in FIG. 6, onceinstalled, the convenience of the original equipment cup holder has notchanged. The user can still place his or her beverage cup 22 into thecenter console 22, just as was originally designed. With the shield 10installed, however, now the user has security that they won't damage thevehicle by spillage.

An alternate design of the instant invention is depicted in FIG. 7. Inthis version, a retainer ring 42 is threadedly engaged with thereceptacle 18A from beneath the protective mat 12. There is a threadedportion 40 on the upper end of the outer surface of the receptacle 18A,and a corresponding threaded portion 44 on the inner surface of theretainer ring 42. To attach, the user inserts the receptacle 18A throughthe aperture 14, and then slips the retainer ring 42 over the bottom ofthe receptacle 18A and then rotates the ring 42 to engage the threads42, 44.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various adaptations andmodifications of the just-described preferred embodiment can beconfigured without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention.Therefore, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appendedclaims, the invention may be practiced other than as specificallydescribed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A shield, comprising: a flexible mat defined byat least one aperture formed therethrough; and a cylindrical insertformed from substantially rigid material inserted and retained withinsaid each said aperture;
 2. The shield of claim 1, wherein each saidcylindrical insert is defined by an elongated cylindrical shape havingan open top end defined by a collar extending outwardly therefrom,whereby said collar extends over a top surface of each said mat whensaid insert is retained within each said aperture;
 3. The shield ofclaim 2, wherein each said cylindrical insert is defined by a closed endopposite said top end.
 4. The shield of claim 3, wherein each saidflexible mat comprises a top layer juxtaposed above, and attached to, abottom layer;
 5. The shield of claim 4, wherein each said flexible mattop layer comprises absorbent material.
 6. The shield of claim 5,wherein each said flexible mat bottom layer comprises substantiallyliquid-impervious material.
 7. The shield of claim 6, further comprisingcinching means for reducing the diameter defined by each said aperturein said mat.
 8. The shield of claim 7, wherein said cinching meanscomprises a segment of elastic material.
 9. A method for protecting avehicle interior, said interior comprising a cup receptacle, the methodcomprising the steps of: placing a flexible mat having an apertureformed therethrough such that said aperture is juxtaposed over the cupreceptacle; and inserting a cylindrical insert through said aperture andinto the cup receptacle.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein saidflexible mat of said placing step comprises a mat defined by anabsorbent top layer attached to and juxtaposed over a substantiallyliquid-impervious bottom layer.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein saidcylindrical insert of said inserting step comprises a substantiallyrigid cylindrical shape defined by an open top end having a collarextending outwardly therefrom, such that said collar remains atop saidmat after said inserting step.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein saidcylindrical insert of said inserting step comprises a closed bottom endopposite said open top end.
 13. A spill-proof beverage shield forvehicles, comprising: a flexible mat defined by at least one apertureformed therethrough; and a cylindrical insert formed from substantiallyrigid material inserted and retained within said each said aperture; 14.The beverage shield of claim 13, wherein each said cylindrical insert isdefined by an elongated cylindrical shape having an open top end definedby a collar extending outwardly therefrom, whereby said collar extendsover a top surface of each said mat when said insert is retained withineach said aperture;
 15. The beverage shield of claim 14, wherein eachsaid cylindrical insert is defined by a closed end opposite said topend.
 16. The beverage shield of claim 15, wherein said flexible matcomprises a top layer juxtaposed above, and attached to, a bottom layer;17. The beverage shield of claim 16, wherein said flexible mat top layercomprises absorbent material.
 18. The beverage shield of claim 17,wherein each said flexible mat bottom layer comprises substantiallyliquid-impervious material.
 19. The beverage shield of claim 18, furthercomprising cinching means for reducing the diameter defined by each saidaperture in said mat.
 20. The beverage shield of claim 19, wherein saidcinching means comprises a segment of elastic material.